English GM Gawain Jones, who played in the Queenstown Classic in January, confirmed his recent good form by winning the British Championship in North Shields last month. He finished unbeaten on 9/11 in a tie with GM Stephen Gordon and won the rapid playoff 2-0 to take the title. New Zealand WIM Sue Maroroa, now married to Jones, also played in the Championship, scoring a very creditable 5½ points.
In recognition of his rise, Jones is playing on second board for England in the Olympiad currently in progress in Istanbul. In a blow for the New Zealand Women's team, Mararoa was unable to take her place on board one at Istanbul due to last-minute problems with her travel documents.
Today's game is from the final round in North Shields. Jones, playing Black, needed to win against FM Dave Ledger to force a playoff.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8!?
The so-called Chinese Dragon, a recent development in a position of the Yugoslav Attack that has been played and analysed thousands of times. The innovation is for Black to counterattack down the b-file, rather than the well-trodden path of the c-file. 11.Bb3 Na5 12.h4 b5 13.h5 ---
White continues down the traditional Yugoslav plan of prising open the h-file as fast as possible to mate the black king. This allows Black to force open the b-file and advance his own attack, when an alternative was 13 Bh6 Nc4 14 Qg5!? forestalling the opening of lines on the queenside. 13.--- Nc4 14.Bxc4 bxc4 15.hxg6?!
The immediate 15 Bh6! was more dangerous. See note to move 19. 15.--- fxg6 16.Bh6 Qb6
The point of Black's plan is that now 17 b3 is forced, after which the the white king's shelter is seriously weakened and the c4 pawn ceases to be an obstruction. 17.b3 cxb3 18.axb3 Bxh6 19.Qxh6 Rf7!
Shoring up the defence against the threat of 20 Nd5. Note that White could have prevented this by delaying the pawn exchange on g6. 20.Qg5 Rc8 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.exd5 Qa5 23.Kb2 e5?
Both sides miss a chance for White to force a draw here with 24 Nc6! Bxc6 25 Rxh7!! Rxh7 (25...Kxh7 26 Rh1+ Kg7 27 Qh6+ Kf6 28 Qh4+ Kg7 29 Qh6+ also draws) 26 Qxg6+ Kh8 27 Qf6+ and Black must play 27...Kg8 repeating as 27...Rg7? 28 Rh1+ Kg8 29 Qe6+ wins. Better was 23...Qc5 protecting the rook on c8 with the superior attack. 24.Ne2? Bf5 25.Rd2 Rb7 26.Ra1 Qc5 27.Rc1 Kg7
Black can win in many ways – another was 27...Rb6, 28...Ra6 and mate down the a-file. 28.g4 h6 29.Qh4 Bxc2! 30.Rcxc2 Rxb3+! 31.Kc1 ---
Since 31 Kxb3? Rb8+ mates next move. 31.--- Qa3+ 32.Kd1 Rb1+ 33.Nc1 Qxf3+ 34.Re2 Qd3+
White resigns, as 35 Red2 Qf1+ 36 Qe1 Rxc1+! wins the queen.
British Championship to Jones
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
English GM Gawain Jones, who played in the Queenstown Classic in January, confirmed his recent good form by winning the British Championship in North Shields last month. He finished unbeaten on 9/11 in a tie with GM Stephen Gordon and won the rapid playoff 2-0 to take the title. New Zealand WIM Sue Maroroa, now married to Jones, also played in the Championship, scoring a very creditable 5½ points.
In recognition of his rise, Jones is playing on second board for England in the Olympiad currently in progress in Istanbul. In a blow for the New Zealand Women's team, Mararoa was unable to take her place on board one at Istanbul due to last-minute problems with her travel documents.
Today's game is from the final round in North Shields. Jones, playing Black, needed to win against FM Dave Ledger to force a playoff.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 g6
6.Be3 Bg7
7.f3 Nc6
8.Qd2 0-0
9.Bc4 Bd7
10.0-0-0 Rb8!?
The so-called Chinese Dragon, a recent development in a position of the Yugoslav Attack that has been played and analysed thousands of times. The innovation is for Black to counterattack down the b-file, rather than the well-trodden path of the c-file.
11.Bb3 Na5
12.h4 b5
13.h5 ---
White continues down the traditional Yugoslav plan of prising open the h-file as fast as possible to mate the black king. This allows Black to force open the b-file and advance his own attack, when an alternative was 13 Bh6 Nc4 14 Qg5!? forestalling the opening of lines on the queenside.
13.--- Nc4
14.Bxc4 bxc4
15.hxg6?!
The immediate 15 Bh6! was more dangerous. See note to move 19.
15.--- fxg6
16.Bh6 Qb6
The point of Black's plan is that now 17 b3 is forced, after which the the white king's shelter is seriously weakened and the c4 pawn ceases to be an obstruction.
17.b3 cxb3
18.axb3 Bxh6
19.Qxh6 Rf7!
Shoring up the defence against the threat of 20 Nd5. Note that White could have prevented this by delaying the pawn exchange on g6.
20.Qg5 Rc8
21.Nd5 Nxd5
22.exd5 Qa5
23.Kb2 e5?
Both sides miss a chance for White to force a draw here with 24 Nc6! Bxc6 25 Rxh7!! Rxh7 (25...Kxh7 26 Rh1+ Kg7 27 Qh6+ Kf6 28 Qh4+ Kg7 29 Qh6+ also draws) 26 Qxg6+ Kh8 27 Qf6+ and Black must play 27...Kg8 repeating as 27...Rg7? 28 Rh1+ Kg8 29 Qe6+ wins. Better was 23...Qc5 protecting the rook on c8 with the superior attack.
24.Ne2? Bf5
25.Rd2 Rb7
26.Ra1 Qc5
27.Rc1 Kg7
Black can win in many ways – another was 27...Rb6, 28...Ra6 and mate down the a-file.
28.g4 h6
29.Qh4 Bxc2!
30.Rcxc2 Rxb3+!
31.Kc1 ---
Since 31 Kxb3? Rb8+ mates next move.
31.--- Qa3+
32.Kd1 Rb1+
33.Nc1 Qxf3+
34.Re2 Qd3+
White resigns, as 35 Red2 Qf1+ 36 Qe1 Rxc1+! wins the queen.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rf1+! 2 Nxf1 Nf3+ 3 Kh1 Qxf1#.